


Eclipse

by byulbutt



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, OC Villain(s) Because I Can't Bring Myself To Make Real People Huge Pieces Of Shit, Overprotective Hakyeon, Pairings In No Particular Order, Voodoo, Where's Leo?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:21:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22076881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byulbutt/pseuds/byulbutt
Summary: Hakyeon was all about tough love when it came to Sanghyuk. He loved Sanghyuk so much that it hurt. And Hongbin, who was stuck in the middle, felt the pain from both sides.
Relationships: Cha Hakyeon | N/Jung Taekwoon | Leo, Han Sanghyuk | Hyuk/Lee Jaehwan | Ken, Kim Wonshik | Ravi/Lee Hongbin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've probably edited this chapter over 100 times and I still don't think it's perfect but I seriously need to stop so I'm letting it go. This is it. Be free, my child.

Hongbin adjusted the harness across his chest by pulling the leather straps taught. It hugged his rib cage and shoulders, more comforting than a human embrace.  
  
He and Hakyeon were one of nine units on patrol duty that night, an assignment most hunters had a love-hate relationship with. Hate, because patrols were boring to the point of exhaustion. Love, because a boring patrol meant that no one was in danger. Hunters were superstitious, though. Especially when it came to the B word. It was bad luck to predetermine an assignment as such or anything related to. So as a rule, hunters never geared up for _boring_ patrols.  
  
A dagger was the bare minimum, as important as house keys or a wallet. There was a reason why people never left without them, and there was a reason why hunters never left without a dagger. He and Hakyeon would each carry more than one, plus a few other tricks; but even so, Hongbin felt like their preparation was lacking something—a certain someone to be specific.

Sanghyuk usually always found the time to see them off. _Hugs and kisses,_ Hakyeon called it, because every day was Tease Sanghyuk Day in Hakyeon's world. To Hongbin, a more accurate term for it was _hunter ritual._ Saying goodbye was equivalent to telling someone to break a leg. It was as close to good luck as hunters could get. However, they were about ready to leave and it was clear that Sanghyuk wasn't going to show up.  
  
"You really pissed him off this time," Hongbin muttered.  
  
Sanghyuk wasn't going to be the only one if Hongbin happened to die that night. He scowled down at Hakyeon preemptively—just in case he didn't get a chance to later.  
  
Hakyeon was kneeling on the ground, a mound of coal in his black attire compared to the glossy white surface of the Preparation Chamber. He glanced up and gave Hongbin a strange, little smile as he concealed a dagger in his boot.  
  
"That's nothing new, Binnie."  
  
Hongbin made a snorting sound. "Yeah, because you do it a lot." Hakyeon was all about tough love when it came to Sanghyuk. He loved Sanghyuk so much that it hurt. And Hongbin, who was stuck in the middle, felt the pain from both sides. "Maybe you should, I don't know, not piss him off."  
  
Hakyeon went silent, but Hongbin didn't confuse it for a contemplative silence. He doubted Hakyeon would listen to him, which was only fair because Hongbin didn't listen to Hakyeon either, but it _wasn't_ fair because the conversation wasn't about them.  
  
It was about Sanghyuk who wasn't there to say goodbye even though the possibility of never seeing them again was very real.  
  
With that in mind, Hongbin confirmed his favorite dagger was secure on his harness. The hilt was simple and unimpressive at best but the blade itself was beautiful, engraved with finely etched designs. It became even moreso when the detailed crevices filled with blood.

Hakyeon's murky reflection, trapped within the Chamber floor and walls, imitated him as he stood. The motion triggered a panel in the nearest wall to slide open, revealing a wardrobe filled with gear and weapons. He picked out a harness and two spare daggers then stepped away, causing the cavity to close.  
  
While he shrugged the harness on, a hopeful thought occurred to Hongbin. He pulled out his phone to check if Sanghyuk had at least sent a text—but no. There was nothing. Hongbin opened their messages to see what the last thing Sanghyuk had said to him was.  
  
Hyulk (9:50 AM): _Hakyeon swore he wouldn't make me read this book again. Why is he making me read this book again??_  
  
_I don't know. S_ _uck it up and ask him,_ had been Hongbin's response. To which Sanghyuk certainly had, hence the reason why he wasn't there. It hadn't gone over well.  
  
"He'll thank me one day," Hakyeon finally said. He was facing a different wall now, poking at his fringe with his index finger like he could see his reflection as anything more than a blob. "Once he goes outside. Once he realizes that vampires have eyes and teeth. He'll thank me."  
  
Hongbin squinted, not quite sure who's future Hakyeon was telling. Dream Hakyeon's? Alternate dimension Hakyeon's?  
  
" _...Right._ " Hongbin worried his pinky finger with his opposite hand. "So does that mean you're ready to go?"  
  
Hakyeon turned around and stated, "Impatience will get you killed, Hongbin."  
  
_Hyuk isn't impatient,_ Hongbin wanted to say—because that's who they were talking about—but instead he asked, "Was that a yes?"  
  
Smiling as though he'd won, Hakyeon gestured for Hongbin to open the entryway.  
  
"Sure. Let's go."  
  
Hongbin reached out and pressed a small, silver button. It was similar to an elevator switch except there was no _up_ or _down_ , only _out_. A portion of the wall in front of them disappeared and on the other side were sparkling midnight stars.  
  
Hakyeon walked into the darkness first, blending in effortlessly. Hongbin followed after him, one foot on white tile and the next on shadowed grass.  
  
Their patrol car had been prepared for them beforehand. It was parked outside the garage, a separate building nearby. Hakyeon got behind the wheel while Hongbin slumped into the passenger seat.  
  
"You know what," Hongbin mused, because no way in hell was he going to let Hakyeon win. He lifted his legs, boots clunking as he dumped them on the dashboard. "I bet Hyuk would thank you faster if you let him play a simulator."  
  
Once he was situated, he noticed Hakyeon had put on his stink face. He wasn't sure what had caused it, if it'd been his incredibly helpful advice or his incredibly sloppy behavior.  
  
"I'm terrible at those."  
  
Hongbin rolled his eyes. "You are, but that's not the point."  
  
Hakyeon put the car into reverse and backed out until he had enough space to maneuver the car around, then began to head away from the Academy—the school and main headquarters for vampire hunters.  
  
Ahead of them were acres of grassland with numerous trails stamped into the earth where patrol cars had previously traveled. They pursued one of the existing trails that would take them into the city. Hongbin cranked up the heat to keep the drive warm.  
  
"He's not going to learn anything by playing video games all day," Hakyeon said.  
  
"Really? Because that's literally all Taehyung does and he's exceeding every single one of his exercises."  
  
"Oh?" Hakeyon pretended to sound genuinely impressed. "Well, thank God the virtual humans are safe. I don't know what I'd do without them."  
  
Hakyeon was lucky he was driving, otherwise Hongbin would've shoved him out of the car and run over his legs. He was the wrong person to talk shit about simulators to.  
  
"Besides impatience, want to know what else will get you killed? Inexperience. That's why simulations exist. So trainees can apply the simulations to real life situations. Maybe if you didn't suck at them, you'd understand."  
  
Hakyeon pouted, offended.  
  
"It's not my fault. That kind of technology wasn't around when I was a trainee."  
  
"Hakyeon, I was a trainee _with_ you. We did simulations all the time."  
  
"Okay." Hakyeon cracked a smile, unabashed even though he'd been caught in a lie. "But remember that time the only reason why you won was because I sacrificed myself to save you?"  
  
Hongbin was a forgetful person, particularly of his past. It wasn't a natural trait but an acquired talent, much like selective hearing. He'd taught himself to do it well because he hadn't wanted to coexist with fear, and nothing frightened him more than his childhood.  
  
That didn't mean Hakyeon's bullshit fantasy was true, though. In fact, Hongbin vividly remembered the time Hakyeon was talking about.  
  
The simulators were usually played by a single person and were personalized to the skill level of the player. There were also multi-player simulators where a team of hunters could fight a horde of vampires. The multi-player simulators didn't take skill level into account, so sometimes the hordes were small and sometimes they were overwhelming.  
  
Hongbin still wasn't sure if Hakyeon had honestly played the hero in that particular battle, or if he'd merely taken the easy way out. It was one of the world's unsolved mysteries. But if Hongbin had to guess, he'd say that Hakyeon had taken the easy way out.  
  
"Remember that time Eunkwang died but there were still a shitload of vampires left, so you _sacrificed_ yourself and I had to kill all of them on my own?"  
  
Hongbin stared pointedly at Hakyeon to gauge his reaction.  
  
Hakyeon tilted his head thoughtfully, waiting a second like maybe the memory would jump out of the dark and into the headlights. Hongbin thought he might actually come clean—  
  
"I don't remember it happening like that." Hakyeon suddenly went crisp around the edges. "Why are you trying to make it seem like I'm not the reason you won?"  
  
Hongbin tipped his head back in resignation and closed his eyes.  
  
_This is why Hyuk is always pissed at you._  
  
Fifteen minutes was a long time for Hongbin to keep his eyes shut at night, but he managed. Down a sense, he felt rather than saw as their location shifted.  
  
The soft dirt and peach fuzz grass turned into rough gravel and brittle twigs, an indication they were in the small woods outside the city. Then the gritty road gradually turned into smooth pavement and he knew they were within the city limit. Another minute or two and they would officially be on patrol, cruising through red lights and stop signs.  
  
That's when Hongbin decided to open his eyes, and at the exact same time, that's when Hakyeon decided to get his attention by jerking the steering wheel.  
  
Hongbin swerved to the side, knocking his head against the window. The car immediately righted and his body bounced back into the seat.  
  
"What the fuck, Hakyeon!"  
  
Sweet as can be, Hakyeon asked, "Do you need to stop by the house for anything?"  
  
Hongbin felt his head for injury and answered through gritted teeth.  
  
"Yeah, everything. I don't want to live with you anymore."

Hakyeon laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. Like Hongbin truly believed it'd be that easy to escape him. That's when Hongbin knew it was going to be a long night. Because there was no end to Hakyeon's kind of humor.  
  
He meant to keep Hongbin on his toes, which was smart. The second someone assumed nothing would happen, something always happened. But with no one else around to take the brunt of Hakyeon's jokes, every last one would be at Hongbin's expense. All he could do was steel himself and wait for the next round of whimsy.  
  
Zone 8 had been assigned to them. There were nine in total but eight was the highest number, not that a number made them any different from each other. The only odd one was Zone 0 due to its location in the center of the city, and perhaps Zone 1 because it was currently under construction. Zone 8 was near Zone 1, but Hongbin didn't foresee it interfering with their patrol. The innermost portion of Zone 1 was still inhabitable and previous patrols hadn't found any vampire activity. Yet.  
  
That night, they started on the outskirts of Zone 8 and worked their way in. There were marketplaces and storefronts, small businesses run by people who had the instinct to live. The area had been vacated before sundown, meaning there were few to zero obstacles in their way. Once they reached the apartment complexes and neighborhoods, there'd be more signs of life to watch out for, but until then, Hakyeon set the cruise control and slowly rolled through the barren streets.  
  
They passed a variety of advertisements obscured by shadows, rigor mortis mannequins displayed in window coffins, and some ghostly grocery store parking lots. There was a stray cart in one of them, followed by a stray cat in another. Neither Hongbin nor Hakyeon got the sense that something was off about it so they left the cat in their wake.  
  
They also left a very special ice cream shop in their wake, but Hongbin showed himself some mercy and kept his mouth shut. He didn't feel like flying through the windshield.  
  
Eventually, Hakyeon navigated the car to a gated community. They both had the code memorized even though every gate in the city was programmed to open automatically for patrol vehicles. It was strange to think a code was even still necessary, that humanity still went to such lengths to keep their own kind out, but burglary and home invasions continued to be an everyday concern for them.  
  
An elegant fountain welcomed them in. There were a layer of coins at the bottom that Hongbin thought were pretty. He didn't get to see them very often since they mostly only visited at night, but every time he saw the fountain, he imagined all the glittery spheres it held.  
  
At the speed of a snail, they wound their way through the neighborhood and kept an eye out for all the perfectly normal signs of life: freshly mowed lawns, garbage bins awaiting pick-up, no open doors or windows, no movement or peculiarities among the spaces in-between.  
  
Every house was as it should be—for the most part.  
  
"That kid wasn't in the window this time," Hongbin pointed out as they left the community.  
  
For the last few months, a boy had gotten into the habit of watching them on patrol. He might've been nine or ten years old, certainly not old enough to stay up that late, but he'd wait all night just to wave at them from inside his house with the yellow mailbox.  
  
"Do you think he's dead?"  
  
Hongbin punched Hakyeon in the shoulder.  
  
"God, you're morbid tonight." Hakyeon diffused his laughter behind the palm of his hand while Hongbin eased back into the seat. "I doubt he's _dead_ but he's going to be mad when he realizes he missed us."  
  
Significantly more serious, Hakyeon said, "We should visit him one of these days. We can let him know he's cute, but really drill it into him that what he's doing is dangerous. We'll speak to his parents, too."  
  
"You know what else we should do?" Hongbin asked, about to earn himself the next blow to the shoulder. "Start calling him Sanghyuk Junior."  
  
Much like Hakyeon, the pain didn't stop Hongbin from laughing. He found too much humor in the fact that Hakyeon sounded like a parent himself. Like he was going to have a parent-to-parent conversation with other parents about their Sanghyuks.  
  
It was funny, sure, but Hongbin wholeheartedly agreed with him.  
  
There was no telling what trickery a vampire would use, especially on a child. They were the easiest to manipulate, making it harder to protect them. If they had to tattle on Sanghyuk Junior to keep him safe, they would.  
  
On the way to their next patrol spot, anticipation began to blossom in Hongbin's chest. The area was closer Zone 0 where bars, convenience stores, and bigger businesses ran later than most. Money became of higher importance than safety, and people were always awake to work or study. They accepted graveyard shifts, their apartment lights stayed on, and even though Hongbin saw it frequently, it still amazed him.

They definitely made more money than the day shifts, but what did that money equate to if they were dead? The answer was nothing, and it was a Hongbin's job as a hunter to make sure they lived long enough to spend it.

The area deserved to be patrolled by foot, so Hakyeon wedged them into the first available parking spot—not that they needed to abide by the law at that hour, but Hongbin understood certain habits were hard to break. Hakyeon then reached into the center console and took out a glass vial with a thick, dark liquid inside. Forever intrigued, Hongbin watched him drink it and then how it effected him.

Every hunter had their trick but it took a special kind of person to do what Hakyeon did. He could convince the moonlight to kiss his skin, to illuminate him the same way sunlight did. Sometimes Hongbin wanted to reap the same benefits and blend into the night just as well, but his trick was of the opposite sort. He was meant to stand out.  
  
After being trapped in the car for hours, Hongbin took satisfaction in stretching his legs. It was cold enough that he could see his breath, but he knew there were things in the world more frigid than the weather. If he expected to run into those things then he could fool his mind into believing the current temperature wasn't that cold. That's why Hongbin didn't shiver, and neither did Hakyeon, but for a completely different reason.  
  
They began to walk down the street, a far cry from the typical speed the average human traveled at night. They didn't care who or what saw them just as long as they saw who or what first. That was the point of a patrol. A different assignment would take place if they beelined it with their heads down and played _I can't see you so you can't see me_. They weren't trying to lure anything out. They only wanted to see what was already there.  
  


\--  
  


While Hongbin scanned the moonlit streets, the easy-for-his-eyes-to-reach places, Hakyeon kept to the front and examined the alleyways. He could see in the dark after drinking from the vial—could tell what was natural darkness, what was a figure, and what was a shadow. A vampire couldn't hide from him in plain sight, and neither could one hide from a distance.  
  
He'd picked up on something shortly after they'd begun to patrol by foot, but it'd been dull and far away so he hadn't mentioned it to Hongbin. Amplified senses didn't always mean _accurate_ senses, and sometimes he liked to wait until Hongbin caught on before taking them seriously. However, thirty minutes had passed and nothing had changed.  
  
To help it along, Hakyeon led them to a place where he thought the sensation would grow. The general location had been planned, but the irony hadn't. They ended up at a daycare named Humble Beginnings and across the street was its counterpart, Humble Park.  
  
The combination wasn't exactly what Hakyeon would call _humbling_. There was something unsettling about the park at night, an eerie emptiness where the children had played. He tried to recall how pretty it was during the day, but he couldn't without the sun. So instead, he took a glimpse at Hongbin to see if his partner could sense what he did.  
  
Hongbin did his due diligence and inspected the area. He was thorough but quick, a brilliant split-second decision maker. Hakyeon supposed he had those ridiculous simulators to thank for that, but it wasn't enough. He could tell Hongbin didn't feel anything peculiar.  
  
Hakyeon sniffed once to grab his attention, then tipped his head to signal they should turn left. All it took was that small change of course for Hongbin to understand why.  
  
"I hate it when you don't tell me this shit."  
  
Hakyeon chuckled. "It could be nothing."  
  
Hongbin scoffed, because as far as he knew, "It's never nothing."  
  
"We'll see," Hakyeon said, choosing not to share the story about the time he'd accidentally hunted an innocent dog.  
  
He'd spent an entire night chasing the poor animal down. He'd held daggers to it and threatened to kill it. The sun had eventually risen, but the dog hadn't burned. Hakyeon had never felt so ashamed of his own judgement before. And then later that same day, he'd been served karma in the form of a gnat in his ice cream.  
  
Unaware of the finer details, Hongbin and Sanghyuk liked to laugh about it. But years later, it was still a sore subject for Hakyeon. Not only because he'd made a mistake, but because he was a queasy human despite being a vampire hunter and could only stomach so much.  
  
The possibility that Hakyeon and Hongbin weren't alone didn't effect their pace. It wasn't always the best idea to tear after the enemy when happening across them would suffice. So they kept it casual, and gradually, the sensation grew. Not a few blocks later, it didn't matter how they went about it. Something was definitely there.  
  
They stopped at an intersection and turned their heads every which way. The part of the city they were in had turned into a ghost town, abandoned on all sides. No food should've meant no vampire, but around them was the almost-palpable presence of one.  
  
Hongbin swiveled around, baffled. "What the fuck is it doing? Roosting?"  
  
_It's been here a while,_ Hakyeon agreed. It'd been there a _long_ while for its aura to be that viscous, which wasn't typical vampire behavior.  
  
Since sunlight was lethal to vampires, time wasn't on their side and they couldn't afford to wait for food to come to _them_. They were condemned to move from place to place. As hunters, he and Hongbin could track that movement.  
  
But when a vampire just _sat there_ —and this one literally hadn't moved all night—there wasn't a specific trail to follow because its aura was spread out across an entire area. Which meant if they wanted to find the vampire, they'd have to search for it blind.  
  
"Walk around a little bit," Hongbin suggested. "See if you can sense it."  
  
Hakyeon hated it when Hongbin used his voice to communicate around vampires. He also hated that their plans were of a similar mind. Their options were rather limited at the moment, though. And it would possibly benefit them if Hongbin stood by himself looking equal parts pretty and stupid. That was his trick as a hunter, after all.  
  
He was vampire bait.  
  
"Watch my back," Hakyeon instructed. "And your own."  
  
There were three streets to choose from, none of which looked any less ominous than the other two. On a whim, Hakyeon decided to start with the street on his left and hoped he wouldn't have to wander too far.  
  
He got about four buildings down—too far for his liking—before the vampire's aura seemed to go a bit airy. He quickly backtracked and kept his eyes on Hongbin the entire time.  
  
It wasn't a pleasant view, Hongbin standing in the middle of the empty intersection with the moon above his head smiling down at them like it knew something they didn't.  
  
For that reason, Hakyeon went about checking the second street with more caution. It was either that one or the next one, and seeing as the moon was amused by whichever one it was, he expected it to be that one. The only other street that had him and Hongbin separated.  
  
However, the same thing happened. The further Hakyeon went, the more the vampire's aura dissipated. He felt strangely disappointed, almost like the punchline hadn't quite landed. Or maybe it was still building and there was something much funnier waiting for them in the third street.  
  
He met Hongbin at the sidewalk. Since there was only one street left, they'd go down it together. Hongbin nodded his head, finally communicating without words.  
  
They stayed close to the walls of the buildings with Hongbin at the rear. The street was undoubtedly more ominous now that they _knew_ the vampire was there. Its fog-like presence didn't clear after a certain point, only became thicker and tighter until it was nearly a tangible thing they breathed in and swallowed down. Hakyeon wanted to cover his nose and mouth but the aura would've seeped through his fingers like dust.  
  
He didn't think it was a trap. The situation definitely felt like one, but it also felt like something else. Something like a trap's fraternal twin. He was hesitant to give it a name, though. He didn't want to call it something it wasn't. He didn't want it to _become_ something it wasn't.  
  
The alleyway they'd been searching for was approaching. Hakyeon could feel it. He could feel the vampire. He lifted his hand to gesture that they were close.  
  
Then he heard something.  
  
His gesture quickly turned into one that would make Hongbin stop.  
  
Hakyeon tried to focus on the sound, turning one ear to it and then the next, but it was barely more than a whisper. Like someone was scribbling on the insides of his ears.  
  
He inched closer, hand permanently displayed to keep Hongbin back—and confirmed there were actual _whispers_ coming from the alleyway.  
  
His initial thought was that someone was being glamoured, but there was no one around to glamour. They wouldn't have taken their time if they'd sensed a human.  
  
His next thought was that the vampire was having a conversation, but there was no pause to what it was saying. No other voice besides its own. The vampire was just...talking to itself.  
  
Closing all but one finger, Hakyeon commanded Hongbin to remain frozen. Then he very gingerly turned the corner so he could see exactly what they were dealing with.  
  
Before his eyes even settled on the vampire, a sickening hollowness carved out his belly. He then saw a figure about three-quarters of the way down. It was on its knees with its back to Hakyeon, arms at its sides and shoulders lax. An unusual posture, in an equally unusual location, for such a hungry vampire. And yet it didn't move.  
  
Reluctantly, Hakyeon walked toward it. He wasn't sure if he trusted his eyes. It just didn't make any sense. The vampire knew they were there—Hakyeon was so sensitive to its aura that his own body was going as far as to _replicate_ it, this time by salivating—so why wasn't it attacking? And if not him, then why not Hongbin?  
  
There was no doubt the vampire was talking to itself now, but Hakyeon still wasn't close enough to understand it. He kept expecting it to ditch the act of pretending like he didn't exist every time his feet touched the ground, but he couldn't stop.  
  
Something didn't feel right. He and Hongbin weren't meant to be there. He wanted to turn around and run—but he was already behind the vampire and it still hadn't moved. It wasn't going to, because Hakyeon could finally hear what it was saying. Or rather, what it was reciting.  
  
It said the same thing over and over again. Slow and monotonous but with a poetic lull.  
  
_A monster looked me in the eyes..._  
  
Hakyeon walked around to the vampire's front, not once letting it leave his sight.  
  
_And told me what to do..._  
  
It was a young thing and probably would've had baby fat in its cheeks had it still been human, but they were sallow from starvation now and no amount of eternal beauty could hide it.  
  
_I listen to it even now..._  
  
He knelt down in front of it, staring at its mouth.  
  
_And it tells me what to do..._  
  
"Hakyeon!"  
  
Beyond the glazed eyes of the vampire, Hongbin was standing at the mouth of the alley with his dagger in hand. Above him, the moon was laughing maniacally.  
  
They hadn't fallen for a trap. They'd intercepted one.  
  
Hakyeon stood up so fast he thought it might break the vampire from its trance. He positioned himself as though it would, eyes flickering between the vampire and Hongbin.  
  
Hongbin read his body language and stepped forward.  
  
"Do not come down here!" Hakyeon screamed. He darted around the vampire and ran for Hongbin, grabbing him by the arm to drag him away. "We need to go. Right now."  
  
"We're not just leaving that thing here." Hongbin struggled to escape from Hakyeon's grip but Hakyeon's hand had become an indestructible cuff. "Hakyeon!"  
  
Hakyeon ignored him, forcing them to keep heading in the direction they'd come from. They were moving much faster than when they'd arrived.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you glamoured? Hakyeon, what the fuck are you doing?!"  
  
In the next instant, Hongbin's back was against the wall.  
  
Hakyeon was staring into his eyes, so close that Hongbin was nearly out of focus. His breath was shuddering against Hongbin's mouth.  
  
" _I_ am not the one glamoured."  
  
There was so much finality to his statement that Hongbin actually followed him.  
  
"What does that mean?" Hongbin had to walk briskly to keep up. "Hakyeon, what the fuck does that mean?"  
  
Hakyeon raked his eyes over the vicinity as though they were being watched.  
  
Hongbin fell prey to his paranoia and mimicked him.  
  
"I don't care what it means." They were vampire hunters. They hunted vampires. Nothing else. "It's not our problem."

  
\--

  
  
Hakyeon didn't breathe easy until they arrived back at the Academy.  
  
He let Hongbin go in first because it wasn't a question as to whether or not he'd pass the iris scan. Once he was let through, Hakyeon replaced him in front of the Academy. He stood hardly a foot away from the building and stared endlessly into the little screen with optical sensors.  
  
If secondhand glamour was possible, the alarms would go off and Hakyeon would be dragged to the Infirmary where he'd be confined for days. It was the last thing he needed to experience after what he'd just witnessed. The things he'd listened to.  
  
_A monster..._  
  
The laser skimmed over his eyes to determine if he was under a glamour. It seemed to be taking longer than usual. Hakyeon couldn't tell if his concern was real or if it was hysteria.  
  
His heart was racing. He didn't want to be outside anymore.  
  
If he didn't get inside in the next few seconds—  
  
The passageway opened.  
  
There were no alarms. Nothing to alert the nurses they had a glamoured patient. Just a glistening white room and Hongbin quietly disarming.  
  
Hakyeon stepped inside and nearly collapsed in relief when the passageway closed behind him. He wanted to take Hongbin and Sanghyuk and hide them all under a blanket until morning, maybe even forever. But then he remembered there was still one more thing he had to do.  
  
He had a report to fill out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *posts chapter one*  
> SpongeBob Timecard: One Eternity Later  
> Me: fuck
> 
> I’m sorry for not updating! Believe it or not, I have like 40 chapters of this story prewritten ^^; That’s why I've come bearing excuses:  
> 1\. I have the editing bug. I gotta do it like 1,000+ times.  
> 2\. I was finishing my prerequisites for school (and very recently got accepted into a super competitive program)!!
> 
> Anyway, I really just wanted to get this update out because of what happened with Bean. It won’t affect my story and I hope other starlight writers feel the same about their own stories. Vixx will always be six!
> 
> IMPORTANT TO KNOW: This is basically chapter 1 but Hyogie’s POV

_Pureblood defines a species that is 100% vampire, conceived by a pureblood female and pureblood male._   
  
_Each pureblood is born with an ability inherited through ancestry or unique to the vampire. ie. elemental control, increased regeneration, mimicry (appearance and sound-oriented), shape-shifting (animal-oriented), telekinesis, time manipulation..._

Sanghyuk's eyes were glazed over. He wondered if it was possible for vampires to glamour through text. Maybe he'd just discovered a new pureblood ability. Or maybe he was just burnt out on studying.  
  
Hakyeon was the kind of mentor who worked his students until they broke. Sanghyuk would know. He was Hakyeon's only student and he was about to reach his breaking point. Every single day Hakyeon would say, _Read this. Now listen to me talk about it. Did you actually read it? I don't believe you. Read it again. Now listen to me talk about it._  
  
Sanghyuk was pretty sure he'd read every book in the library more than once and had listened to Hakyeon talk about them twice as much. The repetition made him want to smash his head in. To top it all off, Hakyeon brought him books from the _library—_ not the underground archive. Sanghyuk would've been fascinated by the original tomes with their weathered pages and dated print. But no, he got the generic shit.  
  
Granted, the tomes were invaluable which was why they weren't used for mundane purposes—such as Sanghyuk's study material—but Sanghyuk wouldn't have treated them as anything less. It was within Hakyeon's power as a mentor to bend the rules when he saw fit, so he could've easily incorporated a few of the sacred tombs into their routine, but for whatever reason, Hakyeon hardly even trusted Sanghyuk with the library books.  
  
 _What are you doing?_ Hakyeon would snap. _I told you to be more gentle._  
  
Sanghyuk—who hadn't even picked up the book—would say, _...I'm just looking at it._  
  
It made Sanghyuk feel like a normal human with a school textbook, the kind that were rented to students for ridiculous prices. He was certainly suffering like one. Then again, he _was_ just a student. But he would graduate one day and be inducted into the Association as a vampire hunter.  
  
Hopefully.  
  
Sanghyuk was nearly qualified to graduate. Had been for a while now. He was just missing one crucial component: his mentor's approval.  
  
For whatever reason— _again—_ Hakyeon continued to deny Sanghyuk's advancement from trainee to hunter. It made graduating seem like a faraway dream. Sometimes Sanghyuk feared he'd be forever stuck in Hakyeon's study, gorging on the same information day after day.  
  
Consumed by his illusive induction into hunterhood, Sanghyuk’s imagination consumed him. He wasted a few good minutes conceptualizing what his first dagger would look like and then doodled the ideas into his notebook. He didn't want an intricate dagger like Hongbin's or a personalized one with initials on the hilt like Hakyeon's. He just wanted a legitimate murder weapon that vampires would take one look at and think, _Shit_.  
  
Exhilarated by the fantasy, Sanghyuk decided to mildly press the matter— _mildly_ being the keyword because he was dealing with Hakyeon.  
  
"I have a question."  
  
From across the table, Hakyeon inclined his head. He was typing up a storm, something to do with the paperwork side of vampire hunting. Hongbin was helping him by sifting through stacks of files. Sanghyuk kept his tone casual and continued to scribble in his notebook.  
  
"It's about my graduation."  
  
Similar to Sanghyuk, Hakyeon continued to type. Or maybe it was the other way around and Sanghyuk was similar to Hakyeon. Poor Hongbin, however, lost his focus and stared blankly at the files.  
  
"It's coming up soon, right?"  
  
Hakyeon didn't say anything for a moment, probably typing out _never never never_ so he could get the truth out of his system before he lied to Sanghyuk's face.  
  
"I don't know about soon but we're getting there,” is what he eventually said.  
  
Sanghyuk forced his voice to remain neutral and asked, "Are we really?"  
  
"Yes, we are." Hakyeon sounded a little sharp. Before Sanghyuk could confirm whether his mentor's expression matched his tone of voice, Hakyeon softened and added, "I know it's a slow process, Sanghyuk, but you need to trust me. And have some patience."  
  
Sanghyuk’s scribbling came to an abrupt stop.  
  
"I've _been_ patient."  
  
The last eleven years, five of which Sanghyuk had been Hakyeon's student, were proof of that.  
  
"I know," Hakyeon assured him. "But what else did I say?"  
  
Sanghyuk tried to keep his emotions in check just like he tried to impress Hakyeon on a daily basis, but he couldn't meet Hakyeon's standards and neither could he suppress his emotions.  
  
"It's a slow process, I get it. I need to trust you, I get it. But _you_ also need to trust _me._ "  
  
Hakyeon stopped typing. Sanghyuk gauged how much damage he was about to incur based on the length of Hakyeon's silence. It went on...and on…and that's when Sanghyuk determined that whatever Hakyeon said next was going to kill him.  
  
"You're right." Hakyeon lifted his eyes and gave his full attention to Sanghyuk. There was something apologetic in them. Sanghyuk held his breath and braced himself. "I need to trust you, but I don't. I don't trust you."  
  
Sanghyuk’s soul took the brunt of the blow. He bit down on the hollow of his cheek in an attempt to match, if not overcome, the pain. But physical pain was the weakest compared to its emotional and mental counterparts. That’s why vampires fucked with their victims’ heads, and that’s why Sanghyuk didn’t hurt any less.  
  
Hakyeon glanced down at Sanghyuk's notebook, the only place where he could have his faraway dream. For the first time ever, Sanghyuk felt embarrassed by it. The urge to cover the notebook made his hands twitch.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sanghyuk."  
  
 _Sorry for what?_ Sanghyuk wanted to ask. _For holding the only thing I want so high above my head that I can't reach it? That I keep getting so close you have no choice but to drag me back down? Or are you sorry because it's_ you _who's scared I'll die?_  
  
"Hongbin was my age when he graduated."  
  
Sanghyuk had no idea how _that_ came out instead of everything else, but it did, and he regretted it as soon as he said it.  
  
Hongbin froze like maybe Hakyeon would ignore his entire existence if he just played dead. It would've been a good strategy if not for the fact that Hakyeon was a vulture who preyed on dead things.  
  
"How old were you when you graduated, Hongbin?" Hakyeon nudged his carcass. "Hm?"  
  
Hongbin bristled and kept his response short and sweet. "Eighteen."  
  
"Oh?" Hakyeon's smile was as sharp as his voice had been. "Sounds like we're right on track then."  
  
Sanghyuk frowned.  
  
"I turn nineteen in six months. Even if you started planning my graduation today, there's no way it'll be ready in six months."  
  
"This may come as a surprise to you, but this whole hunter academy thing you've been doing, where you go to school and study—that's all been in preparation for your graduation. So don't think I haven't been planning, okay?" Despite all the shit that had just come out of his mouth, Hakyeon didn't appear to be disgusted with himself.  
  
A mixture of frustration and desperation tugged at the edges of Sanghyuk's words. "I mean the party, Hakyeon. The initiation. The dagger."  
  
"Is that what you want? A party?" At this point all Sanghyuk wanted was to take his pencil and stab Hakyeon with it until he stopped playing stupid. And if that meant Hakyeon died in the process, then so be it. "Because we can throw you a party. I'll go to the store and get invitations right now. Balloons, apple juice, whatever you want."  
  
Balloons and apple juice. That's all Sanghyuk was to Hakyeon. A child.  
  
"Forget it."  
  
Sanghyuk got up and left the room.

\--

As soon as Sanghyuk was gone, Hakyeon felt Hongbin's eyes on him like a knife to his skin.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
Hongbin gestured at the empty space beside them like Hakyeon was an idiot.  
  
"You're a mentor. You're supposed to be encouraging, not demoralizing."  
  
Hakyeon rolled his eyes. "I encouraged the party."  
  
"This isn't about the party."  
  
"Are you sure?" Hakyeon tipped his head, confused. "Because I'm one hundred percent certain he specifically mentioned a party."  
  
"Yeah, and I'm one hundred percent certain he thinks you have zero faith in him."  
  
"No, he just knows the Directors would let him graduate _tomorrow_ if I let him. That's why he wants my approval so bad."  
  
"No, you're just delusional."  
  
Hakyeon ignored Hongbin's insult. They had similar conversations all the time. Just as he and Sanghyuk had many similar fights. He'd also been called much worse than delusional by both of them. But Hongbin didn't want to be ignored.  
  
"I'm serious, Hakyeon. He's losing hope. And when that's gone, it'll be replaced by something else, something worse, and it won't be anyone's fault but your own."  
  
In the back of Hakyeon's mind, he saw a flash of the little Sanghyuk he used to know whose eyes burned brighter when he failed because that meant he could try again and do better the next time. That Sanghyuk was the polar opposite of the Sanghyuk he had now.  
  
 _And it's not anyone's fault but my own._  
  
Hakyeon swallowed down the guilt and said, "He's not ready yet."  
  
"And what about you?" Hongbin asked. "Are you ready?"  
  
At the thought of Sanghyuk wandering the streets in the middle of the night, Hakyeon's heart beat rapidly like it was screaming _nonononono_.  
  
“You know I’m not.” He wasn't going to deny his personal feelings. Not to himself and not to Hongbin.  
  
But his attachment to Sanghyuk was only partly to blame for the delay in Sanghyuk's graduation. The other part was far more important than Hakyeon's feelings, and that was Sanghyuk's safety. Hakyeon didn't care how ready Sanghyuk _thought_ he was. Hakyeon _knew_ he wasn't, and he was going to do whatever he had to in order to keep Sanghyuk safe.  
  
Even if Sanghyuk hated him for it.  
  
Hongbin nodded his head like he understood everything even though Hakyeon had only said a few words. "I know Hyuk said he gets it, but I think he would actually _get it_ if you just had a conversation like this with him."  
  
"Maybe you should be a mentor,” Hakyeon suggested, teasing. “You know so much about how to do it the right way."  
  
The dimples that appeared in Hongbin's cheeks weren't as soft as they usually were.  
  
"And let another kid go through what I went through? No thanks."  
  
"You wouldn't let that happen," Hakyeon tried to tell him, realizing the joke had gone south and that Hongbin was being serious.  
  
But Hongbin was quick to shut the conversation down. He said, "I already let it happen once," and that was that. There wasn't room for anything else.  
  
 _It wasn't your fault._  
  
 _A repeat is impossible._  
  
 _You're strong because of it._  
  
Hakyeon wanted to say so many things, but it wasn't his place. It was Hongbin's place and Hongbin's only.  
  
They went back to work, Hongbin to the files and Hakyeon to the report, but not before Hakyeon scheduled an appointment with the Analysis and Exam Department.  
  
 _Preliminary Exercise - Extermination: Han Sanghyuk  
  
Level: Permission To Exceed Limitations_

\--

Sanghyuk left Hakyeon's study with his head held high, but his posture quickly sagged as he passed by the other mentors' studies.  
  
He wanted comfortable couches like the other trainees, to disappear into the cushions every time he sat down. But Hakyeon only had stiff chairs that hurt his butt after five minutes. He wanted a fridge full of food like the one in Eunkwang's study, for magnets on the door to spell out _good morning_ and _study hard._ But all Hakyeon had was a display case full of daggers and a blank, boring whiteboard.  
  
A bitter sigh welled up inside Sanghyuk. He tried to keep it down, tried not to think about how spoiled the other trainees were, but then he passed by Seokjin's study. His student, Taehyung, was sitting on the floor in front of a TV. He had a wireless controller and a smile on his face, making more progress playing a simulator than Sanghyuk had in five years reading a book. Sanghyuk wanted to dropkick the controller right out of his hands. Instead, the bitter sigh bubbled up out of his mouth and left his body deflated.  
  
He couldn't help but wonder if he would already be a hunter had he been paired with a different mentor. Eunkwang already had two graduates under his belt, and soon enough, he would have a third. How was it that Hakyeon couldn't even manage one? And why did it have to be Sanghyuk?  
  
Before his moping advanced to crawling out of the study hall on his hands and knees, Sanghyuk pulled out his phone and texted Sungjae.  
  
 _My mentor sucks._  
  
Sungjae would laugh and show it to his soon-to-be unit, then they’d all go out for a celebratory Thank God Hakyeon Wasn’t My Mentor dinner. Hongbin would be there too, which annoyed Sanghyuk enough to not feel as bad about putting a target on his back.  
  
Hakyeon, the rogue-turned-traditional hunter. Allegedly, it was both his blessing and his curse. Rogue hunters were stronger, stealthier, smarter—all of which applied to Hakyeon. He’d also picked up a few unusual practices that gave him a unique advantage while he’d been out on his own. Sanghyuk wasn’t sure where the curse came into play, but apparently other people did because even though Hakyeon was _the_ hunter to have on the field, no one wanted to be in Sanghyuk's shoes. Sanghyuk supposed he couldn’t blame them because the shoes probably looked like a pair of bear traps, but it was only because he was the one wearing them. On anyone else, they’d be luxurious slippers.  
  
Sanghyuk migrated into a long tunnel. With his eyes downcast, it looked like he was still inside; but with his eyes upturned, it looked like he was outside. Most of the tunnel was made of glass and the glass was so clear that sometimes it actually tricked him.  
  
At the moment, the sun was setting. The sky was layered in blues, purples, and pinks—all the oranges and yellows having chased after the sun. It was the beautiful but dreadful lull between day and night, the panic zone for those who had yet to make it home.  
  
Sanghyuk stepped onto a moving walkway. There was an identical walkway on the other side that moved in the opposite direction. He'd seen the same mode of transportation at the airport once. Back then, he'd been seven years old and the moving walkways had looked like a lot of fun. He hadn't been able to ride them, though. The man who'd been carrying him had been in a hurry to get him to the Academy before dark.  
  
Little Sanghyuk had felt pretty betrayed—and he’d definitely held a grudge for a few years afterward—but in retrospect, it'd probably been for the best. After all, little Sanghyuk had been holding onto a big, heavy book and he'd promised not to lose it.  
  
Like a ghost, Sanghyuk drifted until the tunnel came to an end. When he got off, he was outside the dormitory. The dormitory housed all the trainees, a beehive of sorts. They would fill with new offspring once the old trainees graduated and moved out, but Sanghyuk would more than likely turn his room into a permanent resting place, for he was unlike the rest of his colony. His mentor wanted him to be a baby forever.  
  
Sanghyuk hauled his dead weight through the corridors so he could reach his room and succumb to his demise in peace. Once there, he lugged himself across the floor and onto his bed. He discarded his phone to the side, then burrowed into his bedsheets.  
  
It was a cozy burial ground.  
  
He closed his eyes and thought about who’d find his body.

\--

Sanghyuk's phone vibrated.  
  
It wasn't really a vibration, but there was no other word to describe it. He was the only one who could sense it because the signal, developed through magic, had been tailored specifically to him. All the phones provided by the Academy were like that.  
  
He rolled over, spread eagle on the bed, and held the phone to his ear.  
  
"Han Sanghyuk?"  
  
Of course it was him. The call wouldn't have been answered otherwise.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You have an appointment today."  
  
He recognized the young female's voice. She was currently his equal: a trainee. However, her training was much different from his. All the trainees would one day become hunters—all excluding Sanghyuk that is—but not all of them would go out onto the field.  
  
The Academy needed hunters that were specialized in other areas as well. Business, medicine, construction. So her training consisted of sitting at an oval desk in the lobby of the Basement Wing, flagging the students down for their appointments, and waving to the vampires that came in but never went out.  
  
Sanghyuk thought she was a cute girl. She had a sense of style and often wore half her hair in a bun at the top of her head. Something about her smile was always playful and her personality was the same. But she was a nutcase for wanting to be a receptionist. It was honestly a miracle Hakyeon hadn't tried to convince Sanghyuk to join her.  
  
"Please come to the Basement Wing for your Extermination Exercise."  
  
 _Hakyeon._  
  
He was trying to make up for earlier. Sanghyuk almost laughed. He bet Hakyeon thought the Extermination Exercise would right all his wrongs. Like Sanghyuk wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a vampire in its natural territory and a weak, crippled vampire in a contained environment. Rather than an apology, it felt more like a taunt.  
  
"Alright. Thank you."  
  
He rolled off his bed and circled back to the entrance of the dormitory, stretching his arms on the way and working the sleep out of his body. He hung a right at the entrance and got into an elevator. B1 was the level he wanted, so he pressed the button and leaned back. While he waited, he read a slew of texts from Sungjae.  
  
Sungjae (7:05 PM): _Sorry, man_  
  
Sungjae (7:06 PM): _Glad its you and not me!_  
  
Sungjae (7:10 PM): _Damn, was it too soon for a joke?_  
  
Sungjae (7:10 PM): _JK that wasn't a joke._  
  
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Sanghyuk was more than happy to leave his phone in one of the wall cubbies.  
  
"Hi, Sanghyuk!"  
  
He walked across the lobby and met the cute girl at the oval desk. She smiled up at him, sitting cross-legged in her swivel chair. He returned her smile.  
  
"Hey, Jennie."  
  
Although they’d never been friends, they’d played pretend together as children. One time, Jennie had been the vampire and Sanghyuk had been the hunter. He remembered her looking like a kitten with her hands up to her face like claws and her face scrunched up as she hissed at him. He'd killed Jennie the vampire, but the impression of Jennie the kitten was still there.  
  
"Still want to go random?" She already knew the answer, but it was protocol to ask. Sanghyuk nodded his head. "…Are you sure?"  
  
Sanghyuk couldn't tell if she sounded concerned or awed. He also couldn't tell why either was necessary. He always went random.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She hesitated once more before tapping the screen in front of her, causing a section of the oval desk to split open. Inside the compartment, there was a standard sample dagger. Sanghyuk had experimented with numerous daggers of different lengths and widths over the years but hadn't yet found a particular style to stick with. Part of him didn't want to, figuring it'd be better in the long run to be comfortable using a variety of weapons.  
  
"Thanks." He turned the dagger over in his hands. A knot formed in his brow. He looked back up at Jennie. "Why are you giving it to me now?"  
  
He usually had to sprint to get to it—after the vampire had been deployed and before it tackled him.  
  
Jennie tipped her head to the side, pouting like it was strange he didn't know.  
  
"Your mentor didn't tell you?"  
  
There was a lake behind the Academy. It was frozen over now, and Sanghyuk felt like he was trapped beneath the ice, the dagger a weight making him sink deeper and deeper.  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
He was at the bottom, so far down he couldn't see the light break at the surface.  
  
"Cha Hakyeon gave us permission to exceed your limitations."  
  
Just like that, the ice melted. Sanghyuk was pulled out of the water and resuscitated.  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
Every hunter knew but couldn't explain what _exceeded limitations_ meant. Vaguely, they said it was a test rather than an exercise, some type of in-depth performance review. The only advice Sanghyuk had ever received was to be prepared. He had no idea _what_ he was supposed to be prepared for, but he knew it only happened to trainees who were being considered for graduation, and that was enough of an explanation for him to want it.  
  
Jenny must've realized his confusion was genuine because she smiled coyly and said, "Why don't you find out?"  
  
To the right, the doors of the Preliminary Exercise Room slid open. They were charmed with magic and gave off a soft thrum that resonated within Sanghyuk. Once they closed and there was a vampire inside, they weren't going to open again until it was dead. Exterminated.  
  
He turned to face the room—and his heart stuttered at what he saw. Where it was normally bright white and sterile like a hospital, there was nothing but pitch black.  
  
 _I don’t trust you,_ Hakyeon had said. He hadn’t been specific about what, but Sanghyuk knew. Hakyeon didn’t trust him _to survive_ , and that’s what had hurt Sanghyuk the most.  
  
 _You’re wrong, Hakyeon._ Sanghyuk walked over to the void and didn't stop until he was inside. _For once in your life you’re wrong, and I'm going to prove it to you._  
  
He glanced over his shoulder, back at the lobby that was radiant and safe. Jennie was still smiling, and as the doors began to close, she waved to him the same way she did to the vampires that came in but never went out.  
  
For a few moments, all Sanghyuk could do was listen to the sound of his own breath. He was thankful the cameras in the room didn't record audio otherwise Hakyeon would chew his head off for breathing too loud. It was kind of funny, though. Sanghyuk knew he was about to come face-to-face with a vampire, but it was Hakyeon who he was afraid of.  
  
Suddenly, the black abyss around Sanghyuk disappeared. It was replaced with color and dimension as though someone had removed the lens cap off a camera. The scene was blurry at first like the camera needed to adjust, then it came into focus and Sanghyuk found himself standing in the middle of a dimly lit street.  
  
That was new. The backdrop was usually pure white.  
  
Sanghyuk took a look around to see if he could figure out where he was, but the street had no signs, the buildings no names, and the sky no stars. He switched gears and searched for the panel of glass that usually cut through the center of the room, but that seemed to be absent as well. He hoped his vision was just impaired, because if not, what was going to separate him from the vampire? Or was that the point?  
  
 _Be prepared._  
  
A section of the faux pavement shifted. Sanghyuk's eyes flickered, latching onto the movement. His chokehold on the dagger tightened as an opening was made to let the vampire in.  
  
What happened next happened fast, and all Sanghyuk had time to do was flinch.  
  
A shadow tore out of the darkness and slammed into the glass. The bones in a human body would've shattered from the impact, but the vampire remained fully intact.  
  
 _Thank fucking God.  
  
_ For the glass. Not that the vampire was still intact.  
  
 _Definitely not that the vampire is still intact,_ Sanghyuk clarified as it seethed at him from the other side.  
  
It was male and roughly the same size as him. Based on its clothing, it'd been doing something important before it'd been captured. The vampire was wearing slacks and a button-down. Sanghyuk would've found it perverse that it still had enough dignity to keep its shirt tucked in and all the buttons done—but then he noticed something far more disturbing about the vampire.  
  
All its teeth were there.  
  
They glittered like the stars that were missing from the night sky. Its two fangs glowed brighter than the others, north stars in comparison.  
  
Sanghyuk didn't allow his eyes to wander any higher. He had a feeling that if he did, the vampire would stare straight back at him because teeth weren't the only thing it'd come equipped with.  
  
Whatever had just been let into the room with him wasn't normal. It wasn't what he was used to. In all of his past Preliminary Exercises, the canines had been extracted from the vampires and they'd worn blindfolds braided through their hair with silver so the fabric couldn't be removed.  
  
Crippled.  
  
But _this_ was not a crippled vampire.  
  
A perforation formed between the sky and the glass. On the outside, Sanghyuk’s body froze, but on the inside, his heart jolted—and then he did nothing but gawk as the perforation grew.  
  
The glass wall seemed to lower both rapidly and morbidly slow. There came a point where the vampire could’ve jumped it, then Sanghyuk could’ve jumped it, but neither of them did. It was unsettling because for the entrance the vampire had made, it was acting oddly complacent now.  
  
Sanghyuk wasn't sure who was supposed to move first, if there was a right or wrong way to break a stalemate. He normally wasn't so uncertain, but the situation wasn't normal. It was meant to test him, meant to replicate the real world which Sanghyuk was quickly learning had no limitations. If he wanted to survive, then he'd have to be limitless with it.  
  
Eyes focused on the vampire's teeth, Sanghyuk lunged. The vampire was jarringly fast, swooping in to meet him head-on. He pivoted on one foot, veering backward when it snapped its jaws in his face, but not before latching onto its immaculate shirt.  
  
The vampire reeled them around as though to make Sanghyuk dizzy and clamped its chilly fingers around his head. Sanghyuk could feel its thumbs digging into the edges of his jaw, nails scraping at his scalp. It was trying to force him to look into its eyes.  
  
"Please. _Please._ "  
  
Sanghyuk didn't know what exactly the vampire was begging him to do, but there was so much emphasis in the word that he was tempted to do it. The technique—a step below glamour, loosely termed influence—alluded to the vampire’s age. Youngbloods typically weren’t able to perform it, putting the vampire at least a century old.  
  
He assumed it was trying to get him to pardon it. Like if it survived long enough, the hunters would let it go. After all, it still had its eyes and teeth and the other vampires didn't, so that must've meant something. Right?  
  
Sanghyuk grinned. He felt the change in his expression so vividly that when he imagined it from the vampire’s perspective, he could see it just as clearly. There was no such thing as mercy for a vampire, and he was going to be the one to show it. He was going to turn the entire situation upside-down and make the vampire beg him to _destroy_ it.  
  
With a strength he’d been cultivating for years, Sanghyuk careened the vampire’s body against the wall. It happened easily—too easily. The vampire then followed suit with Sanghyuk’s plan and began to beg him of its own accord.  
  
"Please kill me."  
  
Sanghyuk hesitated. Had he accidentally looked into the vampire’s eyes? Was it inside his head? But why was it going along with his plan? Half a decade of training under Hakyeon finally kicked in. Sanghyuk used one hand to keep the vampire restrained and positioned the dagger against its chest with the other. The vampire was trembling. Its fingers quaked against his skull, and its teeth worked themselves into a chatter.  
  
"P-please," it repeated. Spittle evaded its mouth and splattered onto Sanghyuk's face like little beads of hail.  
  
Had he misinterpreted the vampire the first time around? Maybe a death beyond death had been its plan before it'd been Sanghyuk's, and they were merely on the same wavelength.  
  
The vampire then said something that caused Sanghyuk to once again simultaneously feel and see as his expression changed, except this time, the corners of his mouth dropped and his pupils dilated.  
  
"If you don't, the monster will."  
  
Rattled by the mention of a monster, Sanghyuk shoved the dagger into the vampire's chest and snuggled the blade adequately inside its heart. The vampire's hands dropped from Sanghyuk's head, leaving cold spots on his skin. The nape of his neck, although untouched, fell prey to the chills and shivered. He shouldn't have done what he did next, but he needed to know.  
  
His eyes climbed up the vampire's face—young in appearance, perhaps fourteen a hundred years ago—beyond its once-sniveling nose, and through the fringe of its hair. He looked into the vampire's eyes, and what he saw was the faint echo of genuine fear.  
  
Sanghyuk had been wrong.  
  
There _was_ such a thing as mercy for a vampire, and he'd been the one to show it.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year!


End file.
